Feeding device for bottle labelling machines



Oct. 11, 1955 H. G. WEBER FEEDING DEVICE FOR BOTTLE LABELLING MACHINES 3 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR Filed July 10, 1952 Oct. 11, 1955 H. G. WEBER 2,720,304

FEEDING DEVICE FOR BOTTLE LABELLING MACHINES Filed July 10, 1952 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 1N VEN TOR. HI/EMAAI & Wmza Oct. 11, 1955 H. ca. WEBER FEEDING DEVICE FOR BOTTLE LABELLING MACHINES Filed July 10, 1952 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 IN V EN TOR. fl t/VAN 6-. 14435 irroea i/ FEEDING DEVICE FDR BOTTLE LABELLING MACHINES HermantG. Weber, New- HydePark, N. Y., assignor to Atlas; Labelling Machine. Corporation, Long Island City, N. Y., a corporationof- New. York Application July 10, .1952, Serial No. 298,117

2 Claims. (Cl. 19831) This invention relates to a'new and useful improvement in. bottle labelling machines and has particular reference totandmproved apparatus for feeding bottles to and into the machine to the labellingposition.

Hithertobottles have been fed to labelling machines by feeding apparatus in such manner that they were initially received into the machine in a horizontal or nearly horizontal position after which they had to be moved to an erect position and advanced then to the labelling devices. In feeding them into the machine in a tilted or horizontal position oftentimes the bottles in sliding into the receiver would break. This would cause breakage losses but the main embarrassment thus caused was the necessary time lost; in stopping the operation of the machine to pick out the broken glass. Quite often also it wasfound that in turning the bottles from the slantedto the upright position they would become unbalanced and tip over also with resultant breakage;

Machines of'the typein which the bottles are received initially into the machine in a horizontal or nearly horizontal position are best illustrated by the apparatus shown in United States Patent No. 1,308,280, issued July 1, 1919, to one B. Ermold entitled Bottle Labelling Machine.

A main object of this invention is to provide a simple and eflicient mechanismwhichcan be used'with most any type of labelling machine but especially with the type shown in the above mentioned patent so that bottles from start totinish of the operation into and through the machine-are maintained in an upright position and are, therefore, betterunder'balance control whereby the likelihood of breakage is reduced to a minimum.

A further object is to provide a feeding mechanism which can be used with labelling machines which in being associated therewith will require the minimum alteration of the main machine and, therefore, keep low the expense of installation.

Further and more specific objects, features, and advantages will appear hereinafter from a consideration of the following specification, especially when taken, in connection with the accompanying drawings which illustrate a present preferred form which the invention may assume.

In brief and general language the herein novel apparatus involves means to convey the bottles in upright position to a rotary spacing transfer device; means to convey the bottle from the transfer device in an upright position along the front of the machine in definite spaced relation-ymeans to then advance them along horizontal tracks into the machine still in upright position to a predetermined point on the tracks; and means to contact the bottlesin this predetermined position on the tracks andad- Vance them to a labelling position where the ordinary regular labelling apparatus takes over. The conveying devices and the advancing means are so timed and synchronized that as a series of bottles are disposed across the front of the machine, the advancing elements are in position to pass them into the machine while another series of bottles is being conveyed to their respective United States Patent spaced positions across the front of the machine. Before theyreach thisultimate position the advancing means has been returnedto normal position ready to pick up this next series at the proper moment. The means to pass the the treating position and one about to be advanced from thefront of the machine off the conveyor belt; and,

Fig; 4 is another plan view of the feeding mechanism showing bottles in several positions of movement through the device.

Referring now merely to the specific form ofthe-inventionshown inthe drawings, it is to be noted that thenovel feeding mechanism is especially adapted for use with the general type of: labelling machine shown in the above mentioned: patent and especially to Figs. 4, 5, and 7 thereof.

It is to be noted that the machine has framemembers generally indicated by the numerals It), and platform elements 11-, and supporting legs 12. Along the front of the machine there is disposed a conveyor generally numbered 13 on a level with the platform 11 and of any suitable type driven by means of sprockets 14 and 15, thelatter of which is on drive shaft 16. This shaft 16 has a bevel gear 17' thereon meshing with a bevel gear 18 on a main drive shaft 19, the outer end of which carries a sprocket 20connected to a chain 21 leading to a suitable source of driving power not shown.

Associated withthe conveyor 13 is another conveyor 22 driven'by any suitable power means (not shown) insynchronism with the conveyor 13 and also practically level with another portion of the platform 11 to lead bottles (shown throughout as A) up to a rotary spacingand transfer'device 24. which comprises spaced plates disposed at: spaced levels on a shaft 25 and fixed thereto. At its lower end; shaft 25 has a bevel gear 26 meshing with a bevel gear 27 on shaft 27 on the end of which is gear 28 meshing with gear 2amshaft 19. The transfer device-is turned in synchronism with the speed of the conveyors mentioned andisprovided with peripheral recesses 30 on each of its plates to receive bottles A from one conveyor andswing them around on platform 11 to the other conveyor at spaced intervals so that when they get on the conveyor 13 andtravel across the front of the machine they are definitely spaced apart a predetermined distance, such as. is shown in Fig. 4 which shows a whole series of bottles A traversing the conveyors, the transfer device, and extending across in front of the machine. In being shifted from conveyor 22 to conveyor 13 the bottlesA are shifted,

in a curved pathon platform 11 by means of curved guide walls 31, and 32 which may be supported from the platform 11" by such means as bracket 33.

Extending into the machine from the level of the conveyor 13 are a series of tracks 34 and connected at, their front ends of the platform 11 and along these tracks the bottles A are. moved from the conveyor 13. They are moved along these tracks or slides to present them to a treating location such as a, labelling location, asset forth innthe above mentioned patent. However, this feeding device is different as has been set forth above. On both sides of the tracks 34 and supported on platform 11 are bracket members 35 supporting curved spring lateral friction guide plates 36 which are adapted to guide and assist in holding the bottles upright as they are passed from the conveyor 13 to the tracks 34.

In order to advance the bottles A from the conveyor 13 and along the tracks 35 there is provided advancing means comprising a plurality of curved bottle engaging arms 37. The arms 37 each comprise an arcuate L-shaped member having a short leg 37a which extends transverse of the tracks and a longer leg 37b which extends parallel to the tracks. The bottles are adapted to nest in the arcuate connecting portion interconnecting the two legs of the L. The longer legs are spaced on the opposite sides of the trackways from guide plates 36 and form guideways with plates 36 so they advance along the trackway. These are suspended from respective downwardly extending links 38 which at their upper ends are connected to a cross bar 39 slotted at its ends to slide back and forth along bars 40. These bars 40 are connected at one end to the frame and at the other to upright posts 41. The cross bar 40 is reciprocated back and forth by having links 42 pivotally connected to it at one end. The other ends of the links 42 are pivotally connected to the upper ends of bell cranks 43 pivotally mounted on stub shaft 44 and at their lower'ends having rollers 45 bearing against cams 46 on a shaft 47. This shaft has a gear 48 connected by a chain drive 49 to a gear 50 on shaft 19 previously mentioned.

The mechanisms related to and connecting the conveyor 22, the transfer device 24, the conveyor 13, and the advancing arms 37 are so synchronized that as a series of bottles, as shown in Fig. 4, are moved on conveyor 13 to positions opposite the series of tracks or slides 34, the advancing arms 37 will be in the lowermost positions shown in Fig. 4 and in the left hand positions shown in Fig. 2 back of the bottles. As the bottles reach this position, the cams 46 rapidly advance the arms forward along the tracks to the position shown to the right in Fig. 2 which is the limit of the forward movement for the advancing arms 37. These arms are then moved back rap idly to their former starting positions in order to be there in time to advance the next series of bottles which have in the meantime been moved to position by the conveyors 22 and 13 and transfer device which latter separates and spaces the bottles the proper distance apart to coincide with the distance between the tracks. It will be seen then that the bottles enter the aparatus on the conveyor 22 in upright position, pass around the spacing and transfer device in the same position, move along the conveyor 13 upright and are advanced into the machine along the tracks in the same upright position. This character of movement, therefore, makes for practically no chance for the bottles to tip or be broken and thus much time is saved in the r operation of the machine not to mention the loss of bottles through breakage.

Referring now particularly to Figs. 2 and 3, there is a set of sprocket chains 51 passing around pairs of sprockets 52, one of which is shown in these figures. These sprockets are fixed to shafts 53 and carry spaced lag bars 54 at intervals thereon. There are disposed on the lags and across the same a pair of advancing fingers or elements 55, one pair for each track 37 and as shown in the patent above mentioned and in Figs. 2, 3 and 4 herein they are synchronously moved so as to turn up to bear against the bottles A just after the arms 37 have retreated from the right hand position shown in Fig. 2. These fingers convey the bottles to an ultimate treating position where they may be labelled or otherwise treated as shown more in detail in the above mentioned patent. In Fig. 4 the uppermost position of the bottles shows them already gripped or pushed by the fingers 55 toward the treating position and another set of fingers about ready to come up and advance the next set of bottles.

T his thought the synchronized movement of the various parts of this novel and efiicient machine will be clearly understood from the above description. The operation is substantially automatic after the bottles have been placed on the conveyor 22 and the machine will run continuously with a very minimum damage to the bottles and no stoppages of the machine.

While the invention has been shown and described as to its present preferred form, it is not to be limited to this particular form since many changes and modifications may be made in the device without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention in its broadest aspects. Hence it is desired to cover any and all forms of the invention which may come within the language or scope of any one or more of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In an article conveyor having a frame, spaced conveyor tracks and a transverse conveyor having spaced starting positions for articles alined with said tracks at one side thereof, means for advancing articles from said spaced starting positions laterally of said spaced starting positions over said tracks, comprising first article engaging elements movably mounted on said frame and movable from a first position to a second position with respect to said tracks in paths parallel with respect to said tracks, said first position lying at one side of said starting position and said second position being longitudinally along said tracks from said starting position, said means for advancing articles being operable to move said articles to said second position, second article engaging elements for advancing said articles along said tracks comprising second article engaging members, said second position constituting a pick-up position for said second article engaging elements for advancing said articles along said tracks, guide plates positioned alongside said tracks and extending parallel thereto, said first article engaging elements comprising article engaging arms, each of said arms including a portion extending parallel to one of said tracks, each said portion being movable parallel to one of said plates and in spaced relation therewith to form an article receiving guideway with one of said plates along each of said tracks during movement of said first article engaging means in said path parallel with respect to said tracks.

2. In an article conveyor having a frame, spaced conveyor tracks and a transverse conveyor having spaced starting positions for articles alined with said tracks, means for advancing articles from said starting positions laterally of said starting positions over said tracks comprising article engaging elements movably mounted on said frame and movable from a first position to a second position with respect to said tracks in paths parallel to said tracks and including arms forming part of said means for advancing articles, each of said arms including an L-shaped member with the short leg of said L-shaped member being transverse of said track and the longer leg of said L- shaped member alined parallel to said track with said shorter leg constituting means for pushing the articles along said track and said longer leg constituting a guide means therefor, and a guide plate connected to said frame and extending parallel to each of said tracks and said longer leg forming a guideway with said plate.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

